I am not sure we can take Mears' words as gospel. Yes, he certainly was a gentleman on the track. But then, he drove for Team Penske and for most of his career was in competitive machinery. It's easy to be a gentleman when you have a fast car. If you have to squeeze every bit of speed out of the car, its a different story in my view. Arnoux once said he couldn't believe how difficult things were at the back of the field (compared to his Renault days when he often was on pole) and that the backmarkers deserved a lot more respect than they were getting.

In this regard, all of them were under pressure. Bianchi is pretty much racing for his career as he hasn't set the world on fire in recent years. Bird is also getting a bit long in the tooth. And Freijns had a good season and needed to keep the momentum going. Under the circumstance, it was more of a overtly optimistic Kobayashi brain freeze than a Schumacheresque foul. But Bianchi fans may see it very differently.

In this regard, all of them were under pressure. Bianchi is pretty much racing for his career as he hasn't set the world on fire in recent years. Bird is also getting a bit long in the tooth. And Freijns had a good season and needed to keep the momentum going. Under the circumstance, it was more of a overtly optimistic Kobayashi brain freeze than a Schumacheresque foul. But Bianchi fans may see it very differently.

If you're gonna take that angle, its Frijns who was racing for his career. He's the only one without major backing. Bianchi has the might of Ferrari behind him, Bird has Mercedes and Da Costa has Red Bull.

I dont think its like that, though. Frijns made an impression regardless. He came in and proved just as good as many guys who have been at this level for years now. That sort of adaptability is highly regarded in F1. I think he could have not won the championship and still had a bright future. Seriously doubt thats what was going on his head at the time, though. People sitting in a chair looking back at the incident get to make up all sorts of fancy scenarios in their head but these racers deal with these things in the heat of the moment. Of course he knew the title was on the line and I'm sure that played a part in making a desperate move, but some people are trying to make it out to sound like some premeditated attack ala Senna/Prost 90'.

Robin Frijns is set for a long-term role with Sauber, provided his run in the Abu Dhabi young driver test proves a success.

The 21-year-old, who was recently crowned Formula Renault 3.5 champion in controversial circumstances, is scheduled to drive for Sauber for one day.

AUTOSPORT understands that the team plans to tie him down to a long-term deal having been impressed with his progress over the past three years, during which he has won the Formula BMW Europe, Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault 3.5 title.

Asked about the reasons for running Frijns, who is not bringing money to test the car, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said: "With Robin, we feel that he is very talented driver and that's why we want to give him this opportunity.

"It is a test for now and then we will see what goes ahead. Let him first prove himself - we should first see what he does.

"We want to look at him because we think that he's very talented."

Frijns has admitted that his performance in the Abu Dhabi test could be key to his career.

Currently, he is arguably the strongest driver without any affiliation to an F1 team.

Kaltenborn added that reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez, who made his debut as Friday driver in India, will continue to be prepared for a future F1 role at the test.

It is yet to be finalised whether he will race for the team next year.

"It is part of the project, we are preparing his way to Formula 1 and this is the only place he can really drive because we know we need our Fridays to be given to our drivers as they are not so experienced.

I think that's hinting at a similar deal to what Williams had with Bottas this season - a year driving Saubers on practice sessions?

Unless he is mega in Abu Dhabi and claims the race seat, but can Sauber hold out for that long on signing Gutierrez and can they do without his sponsorship cash? Unlikely IMO given they're asking Kobayashi to bring cash if he wants to beat Gutierrez to the seat.

Nevertheless always nice to see a team pick up a driver on talent, and he is the most talented driver at the moment without a F1 team link. But I'm not sure this is good business from Sauber, even if they sell his contract to a bigger team in the long term they're gonna be better off financially if they don't waste time with him and hire paydrivers instead. Sadly. Unless he can set the world on fire in terms of results.

"It is part of the project, we are preparing his way to Formula 1 and this is the only place he can really drive because we know we need our Fridays to be given to our drivers as they are not so experienced."

It is more likely that they'll give him a drive in the young driver tests, tell him to move up to GP2 next year (which he was already planning) and, if he does ok, he could move up to a Sauber seat to replace Hulkenberg if he moves to Ferrari in 2014.

It would be a logical move, after all he's only done 1 year above FRenault/FBMW level, not even F3/GP3, it's a bit too rushed to try to do F1 with only 1 year of training at this level when everyone nowadays has 3, 4, 5, 6 years...

It would be a logical move, after all he's only done 1 year above FRenault/FBMW level, not even F3/GP3, it's a bit too rushed to try to do F1 with only 1 year of training at this level when everyone nowadays has 3, 4, 5, 6 years...

He just won the World Series Renault championship, GP2 is the only thing he can do now if he won't promote straight to F1. He may not have a lot of experience but so far he hasn't needed it.

It would be a logical move, after all he's only done 1 year above FRenault/FBMW level, not even F3/GP3, it's a bit too rushed to try to do F1 with only 1 year of training at this level when everyone nowadays has 3, 4, 5, 6 years...

I hope he finds a funding. Would be quite nice to see he and Nasr racing each other again.

Translation: I already said no to Red Bull twice. But I know they are playing games. You can't decide anything and if you don't do what they want, you're out. They treat you like a dog. In my career I have always made my own choices and I want to keep doing that. I need people around me who I can trust and with whom I feel good. That's why Red Bull isn't for me, although I have won more that Vettel before he made name in Formula 1.

He's got a shrewd head on those shoulders. I didn't like the Bianchi wipe-out, but he knew what he had to do. This statement is totally true, RB don't have a very good track record. He has some balls to say it, i hope he makes it without the fizzypop people on side.

Robin Frijns makes some strong remarks about Red Bull. He says he could join their young driver programme at two occasions, but refused.

Translation: I already said no to Red Bull twice. But I know they are playing games. You can't decide anything and if you don't do what they want, you're out. They treat you like a dog. In my career I have always made my own choices and I want to keep doing that. I need people around me who I can trust and with whom I feel good. That's why Red Bull isn't for me, although I have won more that Vettel before he made name in Formula 1.

another one who thinks he is better than SV ... and he isnt even in F1 yet

Where do you read that? He only says he has won more in the lower series than Vettel, which is a verifiable fact.

Anyway, I hope Frijns makes it. He has some genuine speed, he uses his brains while driving and, although his action on Bianchi wasn't pretty, it shows determination needed to become a champion. As a Ferrari fan, I therefore hope he ends up with Sauber and finally with Ferrari :-).

Robin Frijns makes some strong remarks about Red Bull. He says he could join their young driver programme at two occasions, but refused.

Here's what Frijns said with a little more nuance:

Frijns, who turned 21 in August, went on to reveal that he has twice turned down an offer to become part of Red Bull’s young driver programme. “Correct,” he confirms. “Twice I had offers, just after I won the Formula BMW Europe title (in 2010). The way they work the programme is just not for me. The deal for being there isn’t really fair and you can’t choose where you want to drive, so you lose such freedom. They determine which team you will race for, but personally I’m very sensitive about my teams...I want to be able to choose how I can help create something special. With hindsight, it’s worked out well for me.”

Sounds quite reasonable in my opinion, the Red Bull young driver program is very much directed from the top without much freedom for the drivers they support. So if Robin thinks he has a better chance to make it to F1 via for instance Sauber more power to him

In the old days Red Bull had a team and they placed their drivers there. In the past three years, off the top of my head, they've run their drivers at Carlin, Tech 1, and Arden/Caterham just in World Series.

Frijns, who turned 21 in August, went on to reveal that he has twice turned down an offer to become part of Red Bull’s young driver programme. “Correct,” he confirms. “Twice I had offers, just after I won the Formula BMW Europe title (in 2010). The way they work the programme is just not for me. The deal for being there isn’t really fair and you can’t choose where you want to drive, so you lose such freedom. They determine which team you will race for, but personally I’m very sensitive about my teams...I want to be able to choose how I can help create something special. With hindsight, it’s worked out well for me.”

Pretty much the same thing that Nasr said when he turned down the Red Bull deal. Maybe Red Bull should give a look at how they are dealing with their young driver development program.

They've had a long tie in with Arden, for obvious reasons, but in 3.5 they've sort of lent more towards Carlin. But if you wanted to run with Dams or P1 say, or in GP2 at all, then it's probably not going to happen with Red Bull money.

Ironically their programme is no longer optimised to get their target market drivers: if you're rich like Nasr or Felix da Costa then you sign with Red Bull secure in the knowledge that you can leave if they annoy you, or if you've got no money at all like Williamson then you sign with them because it's the only way to go racing and you just hope they don't screw you, but if you're drawing attention and sort of in the middle budget wise, like Frijns, then they do sort of lose their appeal.

Well Frijns and Nasr didn't need them. So why not spend your own money and do it your way. If you're fresh out of Formula BMW you don't have much bargaining power. If Red Bull want Frijns again he can now say "fine, but I want simulator time and to be Toro Rosso reserve driver"

In the old days Red Bull had a team and they placed their drivers there. In the past three years, off the top of my head, they've run their drivers at Carlin, Tech 1, and Arden/Caterham just in World Series.

Yeah but Red Bull will put you in the series they want, and it's take it or goodbye if you want to race somewhere else. A few years back they wanted to move Filipe Albuquerque from the WSR to Japanese F3. That would've killed his career, so he said no and left, and well, leaving them killed his career too (until the ROC freak win).

Although I maintain that the real reason he didn't make it was that Vettel came up at the same time and was much better than him, but that's going way off topic...

A few years back they wanted to move Filipe Albuquerque from the WSR to Japanese F3. That would've killed his career, so he said no and left

A stint in Japanese F3 worked out well enough for Adrian Sutil at around the same time, so I doubt it would've been total career suicide. There would still've been the problem where drivers in Japanese series tend to drop off the Euro-radar, but the idea of the Red Bull programme is that you don't have to worry about that.

Does that mean Sauber failed to tie him down to a long-term deal, 'cause that was their outspoken desire.

Nothing has been decided yet afaik, he seems most interested in a deal with Sauber but he's not signed.Keeping his options open and letting the results on track speak for itself has so far been a good strategy for him.

Now that he has officially signed for Sauber as their testdriver, how will his career go from here? I'm not too enthusiastic about the testing roles for young drivers nowadays, as testing is highly limited. Hamilton and Alonso for example could nurture their skills by driving thousands of miles in an F1 car, but today young drivers can only watch how an F1 works and how to communicate with engineers and such. This is however not a substitute for actual F1 experience imo. I am really curious to see how Gutierrez and Bottas will perform next season in their first few races. I hope that this testing role will help to nurture the raw diamond that is Robin Frijns, but I fear that it is not effective.

Now that he has officially signed for Sauber as their testdriver, how will his career go from here? I'm not too enthusiastic about the testing roles for young drivers nowadays, as testing is highly limited. Hamilton and Alonso for example could nurture their skills by driving thousands of miles in an F1 car, but today young drivers can only watch how an F1 works and how to communicate with engineers and such. This is however not a substitute for actual F1 experience imo. I am really curious to see how Gutierrez and Bottas will perform next season in their first few races. I hope that this testing role will help to nurture the raw diamond that is Robin Frijns, but I fear that it is not effective.

A shame that Sauber couldn't make some arrangement with Caterham to pay Frijns' salary (which is going to be fairly nominal in F1 terms anyway) so that the latter team doesn't have to pay a penny, and then give him a race seat (cf. Ricciardo and HRT). Though I recognise that Sauber is cash-strapped.